75 - Raivata's Manv-antara. 

The rishi Rita- vac' had a son who was had because born under the constellation Bevati, and the rishi made the constellation fall with his curse. —A daughter was lorn therefrom whom the rishi Pramncha adopted and named Revati. —King Durgama visited Pramuch'a and married Revati, and the constellation was restored to its place at t he marriage. —They had a son, the Manu Raivata.—The gods, rishis and Kings in his period are named. 

Markandeya spoke:

1 Moreover, the fifth Manu was the famous one named Raivata. Listen! I tell thee fully about his birth. 

2 There was an illustrious and famous rishi named Rita-vac. To that high-souled rishi who had no son a son was born at

3 the termination of the constellation Revati. He performed the birth ceremony and all other rites for that son according to the ordinances, and also the investiture with the sacred 

4 thread and other ceremonies. And he was of bad disposition, O muni. And even from his son’s very birth the rishi, that lordly muni, became afflicted with a lingering disease; his 

5 mother suffered extreme pain, being attacked with leprosy and other diseases. And his father in his affliction pondered —

6 “Why is this?” And that his son also, being exceedingly wicked in mind, took another muni's son's wife whom he met.

 7 Then dejected in mind Rita-vac spoke thus —” Better is it

8 for men to have no son than a bad son! A bad son is always causing trouble to his father's and mother's heart; and casts

 9 downwards his ancestors who dwell in Svarga. He benefits not his friends, he satisfies not his ancestors, he causes suffering to his parents —fie on the birth of that son who

10 commits evil deeds I Happy are they whose sons are commended by all the world, who benefit others, who are peaceful,

11 who are devoted to good work! Uneasy and dull, averse to the next world, tending towards hell and not towards beatitude

12 is our life which depends on our son, A bad son brings misery on his friends and joy to his adversaries, and he assuredly brings untimely old age on Lis parents.” 

Markandeya spoke:

13 With his thoughts thus burning through the conduct of his exceedingly perverse son, the muni questioned Garga * as to what had happened. 

* See canto lxxii, verse 27. 

Rita-vach spoke:

14 Keeping my religious vows strictly I learned the Vedas formerly according to precept; after acquiring the Vedas

15 I married a wife according to precept. Along with my wife, the rites to be performed, those enjoined by revealed religion, those enjoined by tradition, the oblations made in fire with the exclamation vashat, I have never failed to perfom to the full

16 unto this day, O great muni. Following the ordinances prescribed concerning conception, without gratifying † my lust and in order to have a son, I begot this son, I who fear the

† For anurundhyata read anurudhyata.

17 hell named Put, O muni. Is it through his own fault or through my fault, that this son has been born, bringing suffering on us and causing grief to his kinsmen by his bad disposition, O muni? 

Garga spoke:

18 O best of munis, this thy son was born at the termination of the constellation Revati; therefore he causes thee suffering

19 since he was born at an evil time. This is no transgression by thee nor yet by his mother, nor by thy family; but the termination of Revati befell, as the cause of his bad disposition. 

Rita-vach spoke:

20 Because this my only son's bad disposition sprang from the termination of Revati, let that Revati therefore fall quickly! 

Markandeya spoke:

21 When he uttered this curse, the constellation Revati verily fell, while all the world beheld with minds pervaded with as- 

 22 tonisbment. And tlie coustellation Revati, falling on and around the mountain Kumuda, suddenly illuminated* its

* For bhashayamasa read bhasayamasa, 

23 woods, ravines and cascades. And the mountain Kumuda, by reason of her down-fall, became famous as Raivataka,† a mountain exceedingly charming through the whole earth.

† See page 289 note * 

24 But the beauty of that constellation became the lake Pankajini; †† therefrom a maiden was born then exceedingly

†† Or,” a lake of lotuses.”

25 brilliant in form. The muni Pramucha saw her who was born from Revati's beauty, and so gave her a name, the name

26 Revati, O Bhaguri. And illustrious Pramucha nourished her, who had been born near his hermitage, in that same land,

 27 Now seeing the maiden grown to the bloom of youth, and beautifully formed, the muni bethought— “Who may be

 28 her husband?” While he thus pondered a long time passed by, O muni; nor did the great muni light upon a bridegroom

29 equal to her. At length the muni Pramucha entered his room where the sacred fire burned, to ask Agni about a bridegroom 

30 for her. Agni replied to the questioner,— “Great in strength, great in valour, kind of speech, fond of righteousness, the king named Durgama shall assuredly be her husband.” 

Markandeya spoke:

31 And immediately there reached his hermitage, O muni, in

32 the course of hunting that wise king Durgama, who was sprung from Priya-vrata's lineage, great in strength and prowess, Vikrama-shila's son, born of Kalindi's womb. The

33 king entered the hermitage and, not seeing the rishi, hailed the slender maiden with the word” Dear!” and asked:-

The king spoke:

34 Whither has he gone from this hermitage, the adorable lordly muni? I wish to pay him my affection here. Tell him so, O bright maiden! 

Markandeya spoke:

35 The brahman, who was in the room where the sacred fire burned, heard that his speech and the hailing her as” Dear!”

36 and came out in haste. The muni saw high-souled king Durgama, bearing the royal insignia, bowing respectfully before him.

37 Now on seeing him he spoke at once to his disciple Gautama — “Gautama! bring quickly the argha offering for this king.

 38 At length he has come alone after a long time, this king and in particular my son-in-law; I deem him worthy of the argha.” 

Markandeya spoke:

39 Thereat the king pondered on the reason for his using the term son-in-law and understood it not; therefore, keeping

40 silence the king accepted the argha. When the king had taken a seat and accepted the argha, the brahman, the great

41 muni, addressed him a welcome —” I trust thou farest well in thy home, in thy treasury, and army, in thy friends, in thy servants and ministers, and in thy own self whereon

42 rests every thing, O king of mighty arm! And thy wife fares well; since she is indeed at hand, I ask not therefore about her, but I hope thy other wives fare well!” 

The king spoke:

43 Through thy favour I have no ill-fortune any where, O strict observer of vows; and my curiosity is aroused, what wife have I here, O muni? 

The rishi spoke:

44 Most noble Revati, beautiful even through the three worlds, is thy wife of exquisite figure; dost thou not know her, O king? 

The king spoke:

45 My lord! Su-bhadra, Sh'anta's daughter, Kaveri's daughter, and Su-jata born in Su-rashtra, and Varutha's daughter

46 Kadamba, Vipatha, and Nandini —these I know as my wives, O brahman; they remain at my home. I know not Revati, adorable Sir; who then is she? 

The rishi spoke:

47 She is this maiden of beautiful complexion, whom thou didst address just now as” Dear!” Hast thou forgotten, O king? Worthy of praise is this lady of thy bouse!

The king spoke:

48 In truth I said so, but no improper feeling had I, O muni. Deign not to be angry with me for this, I beseech thee, Sir! 

The rishi spoke:

49 Thou speakest truly, king; no improper feeling hadst thou. Thou didst utter this word, being impelled by Agni,

50 O king. I asked Agni,” Who shall be her husband?” O king; and he replied that thou thyself. Sir, shouldst verily

 51 be her bridegroom this day. Take her then; I give thee the maiden, O king, and thou didst hail her as” Dear!” How dost thou decide? 

Markandeya spoke:

52 At his address the king then kept silence; and the rishi

 53 prepared to perform her wedding ceremony. The maiden spoke a little thing to her father who was prepared for the marriage, her coantenance bent downward with respect-

 54 “If thou lovest me, dear father, deign to give me a favour; perform then my marriage in the constellation Revati, since I have won thy favour.” 

The rishi spoke:

55 Fair maiden! the constellation Revati is not declared to be one that unites with the moon. The constellations appropriate to thy marriage are others, beautiful-browed! 

The maiden spoke:

56 Dear father! without that constellation the time appears to me unprofitable. How may the marriage of such as me take place at an unprofitable time? 

The rishi spoke:

57 The famous ascetic named Rita-vac was enraged against Revati; in his anger he caused the constellation to fall down.

 58 And I have promised thee as wife to this king, O maiden with intoxicating eyes; and if thou desirest not the marriage, we have fallen into a strait!

The maiden spoke:

59 Deav father! Why did that muni Rita-vac perform austerities in that fashion? Have I nought to do with thee as father? Am I the daughter of an unworthy brahman?

The rishi spoke:

60 Thou art not the daughter of an unworthy brahman, nor of an ascetic, O maiden. Thou art daughter to me who am striving to make other gods.*

* Devan; tWs aeema erroneous, but tte Bombay edition reads the same.

The maiden spoke:

61 If uiy father is a praotiser of austerities, why then does he not raise this constellation to the sky and perform my wedding under the constellation? 

The rishi spoke:

62 Be it so! prosperity be thine, fair maiden; be thou affectionate! I raise the constellation Revati to the moon's pathway for thy sake. 

Markandeya spoke:

63 Then by the power of his austerities the great muni placed the constellation Revati as before in conjunction with the

64 moon, O brahman. And full of affection he celebrated his daughter's marriage accompanied with sacred texts according

65 to rule, and said to his son-in-law again,” Tell me, O king, what shall I give thee as a wedding gift? I will give even that which is hard to be obtained, for irresistible are my austerities.” 

The king spoke:

66 Of Mann Svayambhuva's lineage † I am sprung, O muni. I choose as gift a son who shall reign over a manv-antara through thy favour. 

†For santato read santatau?

The rishi spoke:

67 This thy wish shall be fulfilled. As a Manu thy son shall enjoy the whole earth, and shall be wise in righteousness, O king. 

Markandeya spoke:

68 Then taking her the king went to his own city. From him

69 was born of Revati a son, the Manu Raivata, possessed of all righteousness, unoonquered by mankind, who understood the meaning of every sacred book, who knew the Vedas, the sciences and the books of practical arts. 

70 Hear most composedly, O brahman, about the gods, the munis, the lord of the gods and the kings in his manv-antara,

71 as I mention them. The gods therein were the Su-medhases. And the kings were Vaikuntha and Amitabha, fourteen and

 72 fourteen, O brahman. And now the lord of those very four classes of gods was named Vibhu, who was the regarder of

73 a hundred sacrifices, O king, Hiranya-loman, Veda-sri, and also Uruddhva-bahu, Veda-bahu, and Su-dhaman and the

74 great muni Parjanya, and illustrious Vasishtha who Was thoroughly versed in the Vedas and Vedanta —these were

75 the seven rishis also in Manu Raivata's period. Bala-bandhu mighty in valour, and also Su-yashtavya, and Satyaka and others were Manu Raivata's sons. 

76 Now these are the Manus down to Raivata, whom I have told thee about; they were indeed connected with Svayambhuva, except* Manu Svarodisha.†

* For riter read rite with the Bombay edition. 

† The Bombay edition adds a verse within brackets.”He who may hear or read the sublime story of these Manus continually, is delivered from all sins and attains to the world that is earnestly desired.”